A new detailed report on illicit drug overdose deaths in the province was released this morning by the BC Coroners’ Service.
In the report, the Service takes a deeper look in to 872 deaths between 2016 and 2017.
The report found that: more than half of the victims reported a clinical mental health diagnosis or showed symptoms of mental health issues, 80 percent had contact with health services in the year prior to their death, two thirds used drugs alone, 45 percent had reported pain issues, and 51 percent of victims were unemployed, among many other findings.